Definitions for Dual SIM

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Dual SIM

A Dual SIM mobile phone is one which holds two SIM cards. Initially, dual-SIM adapters were made available to use in regular mobile phones to allow them to contain two SIMs, and to switch from one to the other as required. This combination is called a standby dual-SIM phone. The first Dual SIM mobile phone was Benefon Twin manufactured by Benefon in Finland. It was launched on the market in 2000.
More recently, some phones have been produced that can natively work with two SIMs, both of which may be active at the same time. These are active dual-SIM phones. There are also some Chinese triple-SIM phones.
Dual-SIM operation allows the use of two services without the need to carry two phones at the same time. For example, the same handset can be used for business and private use with separate numbers and bills; or for travel, with an additional SIM for the country visited. Using multiple SIM cards allows the user to take advantage of different pricing plans for calls and text messages to certain destinations as well as mobile data usage.
These phones have until recent years been largely eschewed by the larger phone manufacturers partly due to their close ties with mobile phone networks who would prefer that customers use only one network exclusively. However more recently manufacturers such as Nokia and Samsung have started producing these phones, which will target customers mostly from business and teenagers target groups, however also from developing countries.